pollard



W. L. POLLARD.

PLAYER PIANOI APPLICATION FILED JULY I5. I9I4.

1 ,308, 915 Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

To dir/'ke Pvneumdtl'cs, 0f Player Piano lf' Inuehor;

LPMM/ THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAI-n cu., WASHINGTON, n. c.

W. L. POLLAR.

PLAYER PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 1914.

Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED sTATEsA PATENT oEEIcE.

WILLARD L. POLLARD, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CABLE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLAYER-PIANO.

Application filed July 15, 1914. Serial No. 851,032.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, VILLARD L. POLLARD, al citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player-Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to player-pianos, of the general type shown in the patent to Pierce- 895392, which have means for accentuating one part of the musical composition, such as 4the solo, relative to another part, and its object is to provide means whereby, if desired, one of the said parts, such as the solo, may be prevented from being played while the other is being played.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical seetion ot' the tracker and associated parts; Fig. 2 is substantially a plan view of parts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view of parts of a player-piano, showing the relation oi my device thereto; Fig. '-l is a view of part of Fig. 3 from the left; Fig. 5 is a front view of a portion of the tracker and musicsheet; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of parts of the player-piano, showing a modification of my device; Fig. 7 is a view, from the left of Fig. 6, showing also the musicsheet; and Fig. 8 is a front view, showing the music-sheet and tracker, part of the tracker being broken away to show a sliding valve.

Referring now to the device of Figs. 1, 2, 3, l and 5, 8 is piano-hammer, 9 is the abstract or sticker corresponding thereto, 10 the striker pneumatic, 12 the solo cut-out device, and 13 the tracker. Movable bars 14, one for every two hammers, as shown in Fig. 4, are actuated by pneumatics 15 controlled from tracker 13 through tubes 16.

The tracker and solo cut-out shown, in detail in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, will now be described. Tubes 11 lead t0 the striker pneumatics and tubes 16 lead to the expressiondevices. The tracker 13 is provided with a plurality of conductors, such as passages 17 which lead from the face of the tracker to passages 1S controlled by diaphragms 19, which latter also control passages 20 which lead to tubes 11'. The tracker 13 also has conductors, such as passages 21, which lead from the face of the tracker to the switch- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Valve v22 which, in one position, connects passages 21 with tubes 16 through openings 23 and, in another position, through openings 24, connects passages 21 with passages 25 leading to tubes 26 leading to recesses 27, in which are located diaphragms 19. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each tube 26 is in communication with two adjacent recesses 27.

As shown in Fig. 5, there are two passages 17 for each passage 21. Each passage 21 is located above and slightly to one side of a passage 17. The music-sheet 28 is provided with narrow openings 29, corresponding to such as accompaniment notes, proportioned and positioned so as to flush only the passages 17, and with .wide openings 30, corresponding to such as solo notes, adapted to Hush both passages 17 and 21, the openings 30 being widened in one direction or the other, depending on which side the nearest passage 21 isr located. 31 is a bleed-opening connecting passages 18 and 25. 32 are bleeds, through which .recesses 27 are in restricted communication with the exhaust chamber 32a. The operation of the device of this modification is as follows: For accenting part of the music, such as the solo, the switch-valve 22 is so placed that passages 21 are in communication with tubes 16. In this position, as the sheet moves downwardly, each opening 30 admits air to a passage 21 and tube 16, causing the respective pneumatic 15 to collapse, thus permitting two of the hammers 8 to fall back into long-stroke position. As the sheet continues t0 move downwardly, air is admitted through opening 30 to the passage'17, past the diaphragm 19, to the passage 20 and tube 11, .causing the pneumatic 10 to be collapsed and one of the hammers 8 which have fallen back to long-stroke position to be forced against the string. The lengthened stroke causes the note to be accented.

When it is desired to omit part of the music, such as the solo, entirely by not playing the same, valve 22 is so placed that tubes 26 are in communication with passages 21. In this position, as the sheet moves downwardly, air is admitted, through the proper opening 30 to the respective passage 21 through the opening 21 to the passage 25 and tube 26, faster than it can be withdrawn through bleed 32, causing the airpressure in the respective recess 27 to become substantially atmospheric. As the music-sheet advances farther air 1s admitted to the corresponding passage 17, winch, however, is cut otil trom its tube 11 by the diaphragm 19, as the pressure above the diaphragm is substantially the same as in passage 17 and greater than that in tube 1l and passage 20. Therefore, no air is admitted to the tubes 11 through the wide openings 30 in the note-sheet, and the notes corresponding to said openings will not be sounded. The bleeds 31 are provided to prevent such lowering of pressure in recesses :27, due to the bleeds 32, after openings 30 have ceased to flush passages 21 and while they are still flushing passages 17, as will permit the diaphragms 19 to rise and air to How from passages 18 to passages Q0.

In the modification of Figs. Gl and 7, the note-sheet 31 has the openings 35, corresponding to such as the solo notes of the chord, eut slightly in advance of the openings 3G, corresponding to such as the accompaniment notes. Openings 37 are placed substantially even with the front ends ot openings and slightly in advance of the front ends of openings 3G. Openings 37 are in line with openings 3S in tracker 3f), which opening 3S leads to an expressiondevice (indicated diagrammatically by 40) which causes notes, sounded while opening 3S is ilnshed, to be accented.

Opening 8S also leads to a cnt-ont pneumatic 11 connected to a stop-bar 1'2, extend ing substantially the full length of the piano-action and having pivots 13 mounted in bearings A switch-valve 15, similar to valve 22 in Fig. 1, is provided for alternately connecting opening 3S with expression-device -LLO and cut-out pneumatic 41. This valve 15 is mounted in a slide-way in the tracker and provided with apertures, one ot' which, in one position of the valve 15, registers with a passage 45a, leading from the opening 38, and with a tube 15b, which controls the expression-device 40, and one ot' which apertures, in another position of the valve 15, registers with a passage 45, leading from the ope-ning 38, and with a tube td, which controls the cut-ont pneumatic 41.

1G, 17, 1S, 19 and 50 indicate, respectively, the piano strings, hammers, hammer rest. rail, abstracts or stickers and strike pneumatic.

To cnt out the solo, valve #15 is so placed that expression device Je() is cut ott' from opening 3S and cut-out pneumatic 41 is connected therewith. In this position of valve l5, when opening 3S is flushed cut-out pneumatic 41 is collapsed and the stop-bar -l-Q is raised to the full-line position shown in Fig. G, in which position it will prevent the hammers 17 from striking the strings t6 but will not interfere with such hammers as have already struck the strings and are being held in raised position, as the hammers, after striking the strings, fall back a short distance to allow the strings to vibrate. Then opening 38 is covered by the note-sheet, cut-out .pneumatic -ll expands and stop-bar 42 assumes the dotted-line position shown in Fig. G, in which position the hammers are allowed to strike the strings.

I claim- 1. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby one part ot' a musical composition may be played with a different degree of force relative to another part, and having means whereby said irst part may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played.

2. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby one part ot' a musical coinposition may be played with a different degree of torce relative to another part, and having automatic means whereby said first part may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played.

3. A player-piano having piano-action units and a. single actuating-pneumatic for for each piano-action unit, and having expression-means whereby one part of a. musical composition may be played with a dit'- ferent degree of force relative to another part, and having means whereby said firstpart may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played.

4. A player-piano having piano-action vunits and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby one part of a musical composition may be played with a ditlerent dcgree ot' force relative to another part, and having means whereby said first part may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played, in combination with a record of av musical composition having common means for controlling the expression-means and the preventing means.

5. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby one part of a musical composition may be played with a different degree of force relative to another part, and

having means whereby said first part may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played, in combination with a music-sheet having common perforations for controlling the expressionmeans and the preventing-means.

llU

(3. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby yone part of a musical composition may Ibe played with a different degree of force relative to another part, and having means whereby said one partfmay be prevented from beingplayed While the other part is permitted to be played, and having a trackerlbar having an opening and a duct for affording communication between said opening and said expression-means, and a second duct for affording communication between said opening and said preventingmeans.

7. A player -piano having piano action units and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby one part of a musical composition `may be played with a different degree of force relative to another part, and ha fing means whereby said one part may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played, and having a tracker-bar and a conductor leading therefrom having branches, one extending to the expression-means and the other extending to the preventing-means.

S. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single actuating-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby one part of a musical composition may be played with a diii'erent degree of force relative to another part and having means whereby said one part may be prevented from being played while the other part is permitted to be played, and having a tracker-bar and a conductor leading therefrom having branches. one extending to the.

expression-means and the other extending to the preventing-means, and means for connecting said conductor with one or the other of said branches.

9. A player piano having piano action units and a single action-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby the solo part of a musical composition may be accented relative to the accompaniment part, and having means whereby said solo part may be prevented from. being played while the accompaniment part is permitted to be played.

10. A player-piano having piano-action units and a. single action-device for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby the solo part of a musical composition may be accented relative to the accompaniment part, and having automatic means whereby said solo part may be prevented from being played while the accompaniment part is permitted to be played.

11. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single action-pneumatic for each piano-action unit, and having expressionmeans whereby the solo part-of a. musical compositie-n may be accented relative to the accompaniment part, and having means whereby said solo part may be prevented from being played while the accompaniment part is permitted to be played.

1Q. A player-piano having piano-action units and a single actuating-device for each siano-action unit and havin(T means where-v by all the parts of a musical composition may be played,I when desired, through the operation of said actuating-devices, and having selective means controlling said pianoaction units, whereby one of said parts may be prevented from being played, when desired, While at the same time permitting the actuation of piano-action units, controllable by said preventing-means, for playing another part. f

13. An automatic musical instrument having note-sounding units anda single actuating-device for each note-sounding unit, and having means whereby all the parts of a musical composition may be played, when desired through the operation of said actuating-devices, and having selective means controlling said note-sounding units, whereby one of said parts may be prevented from being played while at the same time permitting` the actuation of note-sounding units, controllable by said preventing-means for playing another part.

14. The combination with a note-sheetcontrolled musical instrument comprising a tracker having openings, note-sounding mechanism, a note-sheet-controlled action for actuating said notesounding mechanism, and two controllingdevices for controlling the action of said note-sounding mechanism, of a note-sheet having perforations for registration with said openings, both said controlling-devices being controlled from the same note-sheet perforation, and means Jfor selectively placing said controlling devices under the control of said same note-sheet perforation.

15. The combination with a note-sheetcontrolled musical instrument comprising a tracker, note-sounding mechanism, a notesheet-controlled action for actuating said note-sounding mechanism, and two controlling-devices for controlling the action of said note-sounding mechanism, of a notesheet having selective devices for coperating with said tracker, both said controllingdevices being controlled from the same selective device of the note-sheet, and means for selectively placing said controlling-devices under the control of said same selective device.

16. A player-piano comprising a tracker, a piano-action, a tracker-controlled action for actuating said piano-action, and two controlling-devices for controlling the action of said piano-action, both controlled from the same tracker-opening, and means for selectively placing` said controlling-devices under the control of said tracker-opening.

17. An automatic musical instrument comprising a tracker, note-sounding mechanism, a tracker-controlled action for actuating said note-sounding mechanism, and two controlling-devices for controlling the action of said note-sounding mechanism, both controlling-devices being controlled from the same tracker-opening, and means for selectively placing said controlling-devices under the control of said tracker- Opeliing.

1S. An automa-tic musical instrument comprising a tracker, note-sounding mechanism, a tracker-controlled action for actuating said note-sounding mechanism, two devices for controlling the action `of said notesounding mechanism, controlled from the same tracker-opening, and means for selectively connecting said devices with said same tracker-opening.

19. An automatic musical instrument comprising a tracker, note-sounding mechanism, a tracker-controlled action for actuating said note-sounding mechanism, two controlling-devices for controlling the act-ion of said note-sounding mechanism, controlled from the same tracker-opening, and valvemeans ior selectively connecting said controlling-devices with said same trackeropeninO.

20. A player-piano comprising a tracker, a piano-action, a. tracker-controlled action for actuating said piano-action, two pneumatic devices for controlling said piano-action, controlled from the same tracker-opening, and valve-means for selectively connecting said pneumatic devices with said same tracker-opening.

21. A player-piano comprising a tracker, a piano-action, a pneumatic action controlled from the tracker for actuating the piano-action, two pneumatic devices for controlling said piano-action, controlled from the same tracker-opening and means for selectively placing said pneumatic devices under the control of said same tracker-opening.

A player-piano comprising a tracker, a piano-action, a pneumatic-action for actuating said plano-action, controlled from said tracker, two pneumatic devices for controlling said piano-action, both controlled from the same tracker-opening, and valve-means for selectively connecting said pneumatic devices with said same tracker-opening.

23. An automatic musical instrument comprising a tracker having a lurality of conductors, note-sounding mec ianism, a tracker-controlled action for actuating said notesounding mechanism, two controlling devices for controlling the action of said notesounding mechanism, both controlling-devices being controllable from the same t acker-conductor, and means for selectively placing said controlling-devices under the control of the same tracker-conductor.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of July, A. D. 1914.

VILLARD L. POLLARD. lVitnesses I. KARL DAVIDSON, ERICH E. PACYNA, N. T. PoLLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

